Mayoral Column 11 March 2020

The true spirit of country life was on display over the weekend at the Delegate and Dalgety Shows.

I had the pleasure of attending both shows. It was clear from discussions I had with people in Delegate and Dalgety, this was a time for coming together, and healing following the bush fires and floods we’ve experienced over the last few months.

Well done to the organisers and committees for staging two excellent shows. Local show season continues this weekend with the Cooma Show on Saturday 14 March, a mini Nimmitabel Show on Sunday 15 March and the Bombala Show the following Saturday.

Further bush fire recovery assistance points will be held on Thursday 12 March. Assistance can be sought at the Bombala Community Centre from 10am - 2pm, and the Jerangle CWA Hall from 5pm - 7pm.

Representatives from multiple disaster welfare agencies will be present at both recovery points to help people access the assistance they require.

Facebook is running two workshops in the region to provide small businesses with the tools and resources to thrive online. The workshops are designed to assist business operators affected by the significant downturn in trade, caused by the recent bush fires.

On Wednesday 11 March in Jindabyne, a workshop is being held at Rydges Horizon from 8:30am - 2:30pm, while on Wednesday 18 March a workshop will be held in Cooma at Birdsnest from 8.30am - 11am.

I encourage all businesses to attend and learn some practical skills for growing your business online.

At the Extraordinary Council Meeting last week, Council unanimously resolved to establish a Mayoral Bush Fire Relief Fund, in addition to other support measures for bush fire affected residents and business operators.

A committee comprising myself as Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and the Chief Executive Officer will administer funds made available through the Disaster Recovery Funding Program.

This Sunday, the Cooma Multicultural Festival will celebrate and embrace the many wonderful cultures we have in the Snowy Monaro. The festival starts at 10am in Cooma’s Centennial Park with international performers and cuisine to be showcased. Don’t miss a fantastic event.

Councillor Peter Beer Mayor of Snowy Monaro Regional Council